Genesis 42

1 When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?

Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon another?'

2 I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to die!”

And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.'

3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.

4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'

5 So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.

And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Caanan.

6 Joseph was the governor of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low before him with their faces to the ground.

And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth.

7 Joseph recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come to buy food.”

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'

8 Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not.

9 Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'

10 “That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just come to buy food.

And they said unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”

We are all one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.'

12 “No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.

And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'

13 “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”

And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.'

14 “As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.

And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies.

15 “This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger brother comes here.

Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're spies!”

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies.'

17 So Joseph put all of them in prison for three days.

And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll live.

And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 If you're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.

if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses;

20 But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.

and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so.

21 “Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”

And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.'

22 Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”

And Reuben answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'

23 They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them.

24 Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.

And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them.

26 The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.

And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.

27 On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top of the sack.

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 He told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's done to us?”

And he said unto his brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this that God hath done unto us?'

29 When they arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying:

30 “The man who is the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.

'The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 “We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not spies!

And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies.

32 We are twelve brothers, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country of Canaan.’

We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Then the man who is the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.

And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way.

34 Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”

And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.'

35 As they emptied their sacks, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Jacob their father accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”

And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'

37 “You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”

And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'

38 “My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (Sheol h7585)

And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)